


Little Nothings

by JamtheDingus



Series: The Witch And The Mage [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Video Game World, Crying, Dialogue Light, Gaming, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, MMORPGs, Short & Sweet, Virtual Reality, slight miscommunication, the team is supportive of these dramatic fucks, those last three tags are just for the general series tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-21 14:03:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12459294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamtheDingus/pseuds/JamtheDingus
Summary: He rambled on, dropping sincere apologies every half a sentence, until he began to tear up again. His eyes burned from embarrassment, and he dropped Shiro's gaze again. He didn't once take back his feelings, though he desperately wished he could bring himself to do so. The most he apologized for, though, was ruining their friendship. He valued that above all else, and he made sure to let Shiro know that.He, eventually, ran out of words. And, when he ran out of words, he couldn't do anything else but cry.





	Little Nothings

**Author's Note:**

> more witch and the mage b/c i love this au c': its so fuckin self-indulgent and rare
> 
> you don't have to read the others in the series to make sense of this one! if you read it chronologically, this technically should be the first! <3 hope you enjoy, either way!
> 
>  
> 
> i actually wrote this about three or four months ago but i’ve been so nervous to post it for some reason???

Hunk kicked his legs, shutting his eyes against the breeze that curled past his ears as he swung on the wooden swing set.

He hummed a soft melody, kicking up and tucking in until he reached high enough to touch the sky with the tips of his toes. On the ground below, Lance played in the sand, building a sandcastle that looked more like a small house than a castle. Pidge sat near him, tanning on a rock as she drew patterns against Keith's skin with sunscreen. She'd claimed it would be a 'protection spell' but they all (including Keith) knew she just wanted to cause some mischief.

Shiro leaned against the tree that held Hunk's swing steady, watching them all. He kept nervously wringing his hands, or bringing them up to the back of his head to feel at the undercut there. Hunk kept swinging. Better to let Shiro sort his thoughts himself.

The five of them sat just where the beach met the forest. Distantly, other players could be heard frolicking in the cooling waves. The swing creaked as Hunk kicked a bit harder to gain more air.

He knew the others were actively avoiding looking at either him or Shiro.

Hunk couldn't look at Shiro, either. His face felt too hot, and his hands were too clammy.

Like the idiot he was, he'd gone and rambled to Shiro about little nothings. And he got too comfortable. And now Shiro _knew_ that Hunk liked him. Almost loved him.

He absently wondered if he'd be able to log off and never come back. The answer in his heart was a resounding 'No.', even if Shiro completely rejected him like Hunk was expecting.

Shiro cleared his throat for the third time since they came to their little spot. This time he pushed himself from the tree, to stand directly next to Hunk. He was a hair away from getting hit by the swinging mage, too.

Hunk quickly scraped his feet across the rocky ground to come to a full stop. He nearly tumbled out of the seat with how fast he scrambled, but was saved as Shiro grabbed onto the rope with one hand, and Hunk's shoulder with the other to steady him.

"Shiro..."

Shiro didn't respond, and instead looked out to the horizon.

Hunk fell silent, too. His face burned hotter at the silent rejection he could even _taste_ in the back of his throat.

"Let me push you?" Shiro asked, moving to stand behind him.

"Sure." He answered semi-automatically.

And then he was being pushed even higher than before. His back felt pleasantly warm from where Shiro began to push off, and the warmth moved higher until Hunk was choking back on simmering tears.

He pretended not to notice them, quickly wiping what he could away with his shoulder as he gripped the rope until his palm cramped.

Lance caught his eye. They shared small smiles, one awkward and one consoling, until Shiro caught Hunk on a downswing and tugged him to a stop. Their gaze broke when Shiro walked around to Hunk's front, and the latter quickly wiped away his tears before the other could see.

Shiro knelt down until they were eye-level.

In the background, they heard Lance call Pidge and Keith away to play in the water with him. They went without argument.

Once they left, Hunk let his shoulders drop.

"I'm sorry." He said, as soon as Shiro opened his mouth to speak. "I didn't mean to mess this up." And then, Hunk began to ramble again.

He rambled on, dropping sincere apologies every half a sentence, until he began to tear up again. His eyes burned from embarrassment, and he dropped Shiro's gaze again. He didn't once take back his feelings, though he desperately wished he could bring himself to do so. The most he apologized for, though, was ruining their friendship. He valued that above all else, and he made sure to let Shiro know that.

He, eventually, ran out of words. And, when he ran out of words, he couldn't do anything else but cry.

Shiro sighed, falling down beside the swing. He rested his arms against his knees and tilted his head back to let the sunlight wash over him as he absorbed the last few minutes. From inside his satchel, he produced a neatly folded tissue and offered it to Hunk to wipe his face.

Their teammates splash half-heartedly in the water in front of them, far enough away that they couldn't hear a single word being said. Far enough from the tense air that weighed Hunk down heavy.

He wished he could take the words, thoughtlessly dropped, back. If only that would fix what he'd probably broken.

"I'm sorry." Hunk said again, when it seemed Shiro would never speak again.

"Don't apologize. Not for something like this." Shiro looked over to him. "Please don't cry about it, either." He reached over, offering his hand for Hunk to hold as they often did in quiet, tender moments like this.

Hunk took his hand with no hesitation.

"I like you, Hunk." Shiro confessed.

"But— not the way I like you." Hunk finished with a resigned nod.

Shiro looked off to the sky again. He squeezed Hunk's hand as he stood, pulling Hunk up with him. "I'm not sure you're right."

At that, a pitiful hope sparked in Hunk's chest. He tried to quash it before he got himself hurt again, but Shiro turned his gaze back to Hunk's face, and he was smitten all over again.

"I..." Shiro mulled over the words a little longer in his mouth, rolling them around his tongue like he was contemplating wine. "—  am not sure exactly how to word my feelings." He admitted, soft words that echoed loud in Hunk's ears.

"They're not... bad feelings?"

"They're not bad feelings." Shiro echoed towards the sky. "I _do_ like you. It never really registered that I _did_ , though." He began to lead the other towards the sand, stopping just before the incoming tide could wash over their feet.

Hunk didn't know what to say. He could hardly breath as he struggled to comprehend what, exactly, was going on.

"You like me." He whispered, as if in awe of the very thought. Shiro couldn't help but laugh, shaking Hunk out of his stupor.

"I like you. And, if it's alright with you, I'd like to, uh..." He stumbled over his words. _Geez_ , romance was hard. "Why don't we try going on a date? Outside of the game."

As if the moon was giving them its blessing, the clouds parted and a soft beam of light washed over their skin, illuminating Hunk in stardust. Shiro's heartbeat sped up at the unadulterated, genuine happiness that spread across the other's face at his suggestion.

"I'd like that."

Across the way, three heads peeked at the movie-like scene as their own way of showing support.

Lance had to shove his hands across his mouth to keep quiet, squirming in his hiding spot behind the rocks Pidge had shadow-stepped them behind. Which, by the way, was always the strangest feeling. Something about turning into a shadow really sent chills down his spine, but it was very much so worth it to see his two lovesick friends _finally_ address their feelings.

Though Pidge and Keith were technically the sour-pusses of the group, they seemed to share his joy over the occasion.

"Think they'll tell us how it goes?" Lance turned to Pidge.

"If it goes well." Keith answered instead, ducking his head back under the rock as Hunk and Shiro began to talk a walk along the surf. "I don't think we'll hear about anything else."

Lance excitedly flapped his hands. "This is so exciting!"

Pidge shrugged her shoulders, though she had to bite her lip to stop her grin from growing so wide. "Just a little." Then, she began to dig around her pockets. "Twenty pieces that they try to pretend everything is normal tomorrow."

"Oh, there's _no_ way. I bet _fourty_ that they'll be gushing about each other behind their backs come their first date."

They turned their eyes to Keith, who's own widened in alarm. They stared him down until it grew past uncomfortable and barreled into awkward.

"I'm with Pidge." He finally decided, and they quickly had to muffle Lance's outraged shout, lest they get caught.

"Oh, you're so _on_ , grumpsters." Lance huffed, straightening his robes. "Just you watch— Lance is always right about these things."

 

\---

 

(Three days later was Shiro's and Hunk's first date; a simple walk around the park just after the sunset, feeding the wildlife and munching on whatever snacks Hunk had stressed-baked the days prior. Four or so hours later found Pidge and Keith paying up their losses to one smug Lance.)

**Author's Note:**

> yeet
> 
> you just lost the game
> 
> yell at me on [tumblr](https://jamthedingus.tumblr.com)!


End file.
